News
No Police Report, but case of Stow-Aways aboard Legal Cargo Vessel reaches Court
Wilkie Arthur
Freelance Court Reporter
#TurksandCaicos, August 11, 2023 – On or around July 24, 2023, Magnetic Media reported legal cargo vessel allegedly caught up in the illegal entry of migrants from Haiti. Described to us as “stow-aways”, the group was found on a vessel docked at the South Dock port. There was never any official police, immigration nor customs statement or report confirmation or disproving our report regarding the cargo vessel.
On Tuesday August 8, 2023 in the MAGISTRATE’S Court four men came charged with Aggravated assisting illegal entry. The captain, identified as ROLAND JOSEPH was also charged with a Customs Department offense of
Given the alleged aggravating features surrounding the offense and the concealed capture of 72 undocumented illegal migrants on a legal cargo vessel namely M/V AGAPA, that was lawfully permitted to enter the Turks and Caicos Islands, the matter was transferred to the Supreme Court for sufficiency hearing on October 6, 2023. The Magistrate’s Court declined jurisdiction in handling the matter as it is a case fit for higher court trial.
All four are represented by Mr. Ashwood Forbes; Ms. Enjaleek Dickenson represents the DPP’S office.
The Supreme Court in April of this year handed another individual – Harold Boy – who pleaded guilty to similar immigration offenses, 8 years imprisonment.
Boy is the first to receive such stiff penal punishment for offences pertaining to the newly amended immigration ordinance.